To become a Hero
---- "Good, students shouldn't come to these kind of streets. But... from your words, you two are foreigners, aye?" That voice, yet again. "We're heavily mistreated here... so, I will let you two pass. People live here still, as you can see." Delsin D. Draco and Kaio Kinbena stared at each other, and the man licked his lips, "Now..." They turned to him. "Run." No. Everyone's eyes widened around Delsin, had he said that aloud? "No!" Delsin curled his hand into a fist, looking fiercely at the man in front of him, who stared at him dead in the eye, though he seemed to remain motionless. "I will save her!" The girl reappeared from within the man's robes, staring at Delsin. The man laughed. Not noticing the man's arm hovering close to him, Delsin smiled warmly at her, but, she only let out a scream. "Huh?" An instant after, Delsin was not looking at her, but, at her feet, the man laughed. His vision changed, Delsin saw the ground and then... why was he seeing his own body? Why was it kneeling down? Why was Kaio screaming at him? Why were they covered in blood? Why was the man laughing? He wanted to clutch his own neck, but, he couldn't. "WHY?!" Delsin's eyes shot open along with his mouth, as it desperately gasped for air. "Hah..." He got up and massaged his neck, pupils trembling while glancing around the place. "Hah," It was his room, in his home, his shoulders lowered. Delsin swallowed some saliva and looked at the clock, 4:53 AM. Good, he had time to prepare for his and Kaio's training, his pajamas were soaked in sweat. The floor sent a shiver through him as soon as his feet touched it, "O-Okay." Delsin muttered in a shaky smile and walked towards the bathroom. Entering it, Delsin stared at himself in the mirror, no wonder his face was still wet, even if he wasn't sweating anymore. He rubbed his eyes, "Heroes, huh?" Delsin uttered, droplets falling against the sink. ---- "HOP, HOP, HOP, is what you fuckin' say, right?!" Kaio growled, his face wet with sweat. Both he and Delsin sprinted through the beach of Musutafu, the time was still 6:00 AM. They could have done this at anytime during the day, why did they have to run so early? It was their fifth day of training. Eyes poking out of his skull, Delsin panted and his legs shook, "Hah... help..." The gym clothes they wore weren't helping, for some reason. Kaio wore white shorts and a red shirt, while Delsin only had his shirt as blue instead, their shoes matched those. Kaio's teeth were sharp, "DON'T'CHU FUCKIN' SLACK OFF!" He surpressed a hit to Delsin's head, fearing it would take him out cold. That was the last problem they needed. Only then, Delsin's cheeks puffed and his eyes widened, there it was again. That damn sickness, "Gorf-" He palmed his mouth, body hunched forward, and Kaio turned around. "Shit, why do you throw up every time we're close to large bodies of water?" Kaio snorted, moving behind Delsin, his body tilted and one hand moved to grip the side of Delsin's legs, while the other took ahold of his neck, "Here, I'mma' do it, 'kay?" Delsin nodded and Kaio went back to standing normally, lifting the former steadily. Delsin stood still, his back against Kaio's backhead, as he still held his mouth, it couldn't come out. "WAIT, I'M NO-" It was going to come out. Delsin's yell startled Kaio, who began to rapidly hunch forward one arm after the other. "MMMMMMPFFFFF!" He should think of food, wait, no. "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!" Kaio's yells were each accompanied by one arm lowering Delsin, this was some good work-out. "ORAAAA!" Much like before, Kaio tilted his body and Delsin was back to standing on the ground, generating a gust of wind. Turning to his friend, Kaio noticed his deadpan expression, "S-Shit, are you dead-" "UUUUUOOOOOOHHHHH!" Delsin rose both his arms, knees standing shoulder-length apart. All of a sudden, he dashed through the sand, "I'M BACK AT IT!!" His arms and legs blurred. With a pout, Kaio ran too, "Glad to see that fuckin' technique works still! GO GO GO!" All the hundred times it had worked. "Y'know, you should use your quirk in our next spar, I've forgotten what-" "Deniiiiied!" Delsin gave him a thumbs up, while running. "GRAAAAAAH!" Kaio flipped him off, catching up quickly. ---- "Mmmmpfpfpf..." Delsin's mutters during the night filled Kaio's ears. Both were at Kaio's home and room, sleeping on beds on opposite sides after more days of training went on. "Hmph..." His body was sweating and wetting the mattress. Kaio had his eyelids shut tight, rolling on his side, "Fuckin' bitch, fuckin' not sleepin'," He mumbled against the pillow and glanced at the clock, 2:10 AM. Kaio blinked, "Shiiit," The noises continued for a few minutes, mostly heavy breathing, only then, Kaio blinked rapidly and felt his consciousness fully slip. Then, he only heard his own breathing. A sob. Kaio's eyes shot open, his body rose, another sob, he glanced around the room and rubbed his eyes. Delsin was not on the bed, "Shit," Kaio grunted and found himself close to the room's bathroom door already. "Dude?" "I-I'm fine-" "You know you can't bullshit me, open it," Kaio snarled, eyelids half-way open, the door opened slowly with Delsin standing over the sink and washing his face. "I thought those stopped?" Delsin looked at him from the mirror, "Sorry... I, I didn't want to bother you." His hands trembled, mouth's edges curved down. "Sorry-" "Noooo sorries!" Kaio sighed and crossed his arms, "It was that man again?" A nod in response, Kaio hummed, at least the apologies ceased. Another sigh, but then, a smile, "Let's get you something to eat, bro," Kaio patted Delsin's shoulder. "I, I will catch you down there," Delsin smiled back and gestured for the sink, Kaio nodded and quickly left the room. That shifted Delsin's attention back to the mirror, his smile dropped, this was the sight of that morning back then. Teeth gritted, Delsin surpressed another sob, "Is this how you're going to become a hero, Delsin?" ---- "Thinking too much on this... it's bringing you down." Lucia D. Draco commented at Delsin while checking the fridge, the latter sat at the table along with his younger brother, Hector D. Draco. Both ate each a bowl of cereal in silence, despite the constant crunch crunch, until... Delsin palmed his face, using the excuse he was still mumching on his cereal, why had he told her about his issues again? "Brooo," Hector's call cut the thought process, prompting Delsin to glance at his smiling face. Their mother left the kitchen in the next second. In a sudden smirk, Delsin pouted at Hector, "Yeees, li'l bro?" He made reverencing gestures at the boy. What was said next, however, made Delsin's eyes widen, "What mom means..." Hector widened his smile even more and clapped his hands, "-is that you shouldn't think of it as impossible to do!" He gave Delsin a thumbs-up, the latter blinking. "It's just-" "You always feel like you can't, right?" Delsin's eyes birghtened. Hector sighed, despite his smile, and glanced down at his lap, "That's why... you are cool! You keep going on even if you think that," Hecto held a fist out. "So, keep it up and become a hero!" A sensation built upon Delsin's eyes, "Are you really seven years old?" He snickered and placed the bowl in the sink, grabbing his water bottle. "You're damn smart." "Soon, eight!" Hector swallowed another spoon of cereal, "I know right? I should jump some grades!" He laughed. Delsin moved to leave and yelled, "Humble up!!" "No, thanks!" ---- "We got to ask it," Kaio mused, bored expression all over his face, both him and Delsin had towels around their necks. It had been months since their session that morning, "The physical exam is soon, y'know. Oh yeah... we also need to get our school history at Aberado." Delsin agonized, "Maaan, he won't accept it," His lips curved down, at least they would eat soon and then prepare for the extra classes. "Uncle's a good person, but shit, he's also busy," His uncle already did a lot for him, Delsin just couldn't ask for more. The sound of the television filled their ears, though it wasn't really notable, "-They have no allegiance to each other, but, even so, the villain by the name of El-" "Hey mom!" Delsin beamed, both having entered his house. "Yo, auntie!" Kaio rose one hand, both eyeing Lucia, while, once again, she stood by the kitchen. Her slight red hair flashed in the noon's sunlight. "-He was last seen at the Principal Street of Yav-" Turning around, Lucia smiled at them, "Oh, Del and Kaio!" She approached and gave each a quick hug. "Glad to see you two! I just saw some worrying news about villains," She would think that maybe her family would be safe after she retired. "Shit, a villain- OW!" Delsin exclaimed, his lips being pulled by his mother. "No swearing, child!" Lucia let him go, walking back to the kitchen counter, the scent of food filled their nostrils and their bodies shivered. Both Kaio and Delsin popped at Lucia's sides, eyes on the food, "Sooo, is Del's uncle here?" Kaio asked, whilst Lucia smacked Delsin's hand, since he tried to snatch something atop the pan. "I AM HERE!" A voice bellowed and a large figured skidded into the kitchen while riding a... motorcycle? The figure wore black glasses, but, nonetheless had casual clothes on, a tanktop and shorts. "Sup' boys, how've you been?" This was Lucian D. Draco, an active Pro Hero. He lowered his glasses and a background Yeaaaah filled their ears. "Uncle!" Delsin exclaimed and they exchanged a quick high five, "I've been cool." He shot a thumbs-up at Lucian. Kaio high fived Lucian as well, "Such a lame introd-" A frown, "I mean, I"ve been raaaad!" He gave Lucian a thumbs up, "Anyway... ya' don't seem to be busy, Lucian-san." Hah!" Lucian proceeded to laugh, "I've been, actually, was getting some villains into prison this morning! A hero can never slack off," He leaned the motorcycle against the veranda's passage. Delsin's smile increased tenfold at that, one of the top figures in the Hero World was standing just before him. Chandelier, the No. 20 Hero, who was also a foreigner and his uncle, a man whose will never stopped burning, a man whose quirk was not hidden away. The twentieth among many thousands of heroes. "Sweet shit, this means you can help us with our training," Kaio coughed out and nodded. Eyes narrowing, Lucian glanced at Kaio, "What was that?" A blink, "Oh yeah, you two are going for U.A, right," He waved a hand around. "But... help you?" Delsin scratched the back of his head, "Um, yeah!" He clenched his fists, this was it, the time, "We figured that you, as a pro and a foreigner, could give us some tips-" A foreigner, of course, Lucian's gaze dropped, "Then, you are assuming that becoming a Hero only requires training." Lucian pointed at both, "...Listen, I didn't mean... I mean, I don't think you should be proud of me as a foreigner." His mind went back to the morning of that day, villains he fought? Villains that escaped... Heroes that disowned him for failing and didn't allow him to continue the job. "Ah," Delsin shivered, eyes looking at his feet. It turned out he was right, deep down, he was. A snarl left Kaio's mouth, "And here I thought you'd be different!!" His lips curved down, whilst he pointed at Lucian. "Y'know what, fuck this shit, we'll just go back to our training!!" Kaio hurried in heavy steps, slamming the door. Delsin turned around, hands trembling and red taking over his face, "I-I'm sorry..." He bowed, "W-We'll be back!" He, too, hurried out of the room, as soon as tears found themselves in his eyes. Turning to Lucia, Lucian tilted his head, only to receive a sigh in response. ---- The light of the Television shone on both their faces, it had been some time since the boys left, "You told them training wasn't the only thing," Lucia noted, eyes sharp as she sat on the couch's arm. "Sure, they are being stubborn for looking at you as a Foreigner, not a Hero..." Lucian nodded, hands gripping his shirt, his breath hitched. He had truly done it then, he was a foreigner after all, just like his colleagues had said. Whom was Lucian fooling? He looked at the veranda's glass, barely seeing his reflection, his eyes widened. "Y'know that I agree with you, right?" Lucia sighed, patting her brother's shoulder, "But, this also means that... you should agree, too." Some final pats, Lucia rose from the couch and moved over to the kitchen, checking the stove for her dish. Her words meshed in with what he saw. With a glance at his buzzing cellphone, Lucian's face paled, yet his ears never stopped paying attention to Lucia, who continued, "Show them that what they need is a Hero." A gloved hand gripped a black backpack, the wind rustled. Slam. Lucia whipped her head around, noticing that no one else was in the house anymore, a sigh escaped her smiling mouth. ---- "It's this way for sure?" Kaio looked at his cellphone and glanced around boringly, "Yavin Street." Many of the cars were honking loudly, not moving that fast. Now, the both of them were their middle school clothes as per request of Aberado, so that they could enter its grounds. Delsin narrowed his eyes, "Goddamn dude, we've been walking this path our entire lives." He rose his lower lip, its edges curving down, then... "Wait, is this why you never liked going alone? Because you forget- PFF, NO WAY!" Delsin cried out, smiling wide. A vein burst out in Kaio's forehead, "DON'T GO ASSUMING THINGS, BITCH!!" He moved his hands in a grappling manner several times, all of which Delsin dodged with a haha. They wondered if their silliness got the best of them after that talk back home. Kaio grumbled a bit more, their walking never ceasing, "We'll soon be- What the fuck?!" A frown filled his face, the vision of a very large tree in the center of the cross street. They stopped walking at the edge of the sidewalk and glanced the tree up and down. "Does this have to do with the fleeing villains?" "Fleeing villains?!" "Yes, a few escaped from Chandelier's clutch earlier..." They heard a few civillians exchange talk around, their eyes widening. "But, that hero, Apostle-" "Yes! Me, we all need to calm down," A man dressed in a green tight suit and with golden locks said all of sudden, the letters DIO were in his hat. He was the aforementioned Hero, Apostle, "I have called-" Everyone froze at the sound of clapping, "Good job, werll don'!" A rough voice filled the ears on the street, a man suddenly jumped out of the hole from the main tree. A man of tanned skin, inmate clothes, and tall figure. He clapped several times, more grass erupting at the street, "It's time for me, EL GRANJERO, to show ya' Japanese people-" "Everyone, get away!!" Apostle swung his arm around, whilst El Granjero smirked and cracked the ground with a single punch. "Shit!" Kaio gulped while sweating, it was one of the villains reported in the news, "We need to go now, man!!" He eyed the Hero present, who seemed to enter a combat position instantly. A villain, alone, had created that tree? "I-" Kaio turned his full attention to Delsin as he finally spoke, "I've been meaning to tell you-" A crack, Delsin's gaze lowered, "-that I'm thinking on drop-" "LOOK OUT!!" Kaio bellowed, tackling Delsin as wood erupted from the street, covering Kaio, whose grunts were muffled. More people screamed along, including Apostle, trees and leaves capturing them in a tight embrace as they surged through the air. Specifically, their heads and arms were left hanging outside the wood. People cried out from inside their cars, imprisoned by the grass. Even with the interference, a wood spear came out of the tree, "AAAAAAAAAAAAH?!" Delsin's eyes widened as blood sprawled from the left side of his forehead and he rolled against the pavement. "-To show ya' just how worrthless yur fake heroes arre beforre the Syndicate!!!" El Granjero yelled and opened his arms wide, expression still straight, yes, none of these heroes were what they claimed to be. Five trees were created, encasing Kaio, Apostle, and three other civillians, their leaves connected into the main tree's, creating a cover around the area. The entire world spun, Delsin laid in the pavement as he was covered by the grass, he was shivering. When he looked at the hand that was covering his forehead, Delsin saw blood, too much blood, the air went out of his lungs. A long blink, memories of many nights filled his mind. "Thinking too much on this... it's bringing you down." Kaio's yelling filled the area, "GAAAH! Damnitt!!" both he and Apostle were the ones actively trying to get themselves out of the trees. Delsin's eyes snapped open, the air started to get back into his nose, touching his forehead once again, he glanced at his palms. He had to do it. In a breath, his body was moving? "You always feel like you can't, right?" Delsin's right hand approached his forehead, his teeth grinding against each other. "What the fu- GAH!" The tree closed even tighter around Kaio, "This is bad, this thing is doing this much damage to me- These other people won't make it!!" He gritted his teeth and flexed his muscles even more. No, not there, not then, he couldn't. Apostle himself was lucky on having his cellphone on his hand, as it had not been squashed by the wood, his eyes widened at what he saw on its screen. Having muffled his own screams with his other hand, Delsin could easily hear the civillians', "HELP ME!! PLEASE!", "I can't feel my legs, oh god!!" Delsin's irises trembled for a second, steam coming out of his face, but, "So, keep it up and become a hero!" His eye sharpened. "I beg yer parrdon!" El Granjero shouted suddenly, bowing at the five trees, "Tis' all so ya' become the brirdge for a fairer herro world!!" His smile faltered, however, once the entire place was illuminated. Streams of fire soared through the air, burning away the grass that stood flimsily below them, those who could did their best to cover their eyes. Kaio's eyes brightened, his jaw hanging open, "Quirk..." He uttered, "He's using- HE IS USING HIS QUIRK!!" His mouth formed into a smile. Embers were scattered by the wind, a large man's steps ressonating within the streets, he ran as if he was atop a bike, a roaring bike. The fire seemed to focus on the area covered by El Granjero's quirk, hitting away at the trees. A path of grass was suddenly burnt, giving way to someone's feet, El Granjero lowered his arm and looked ahead, spotting the boy from earlier. He was missing the left part of his shirt, burnt away. "N-No way! I used mah' special wood to cut yer, even my bro Macho feels it!" El Granjero swung an arm, "How- Hm!!" He tensed upon noticing a trail of flames leaking from the boy's fingers. Delsin had a bloody face, his left eye was closed and the top of his forehead did not leak blood anymore. Delsin grunted, "I-I used this to cauterize my wound!!" He held his fist out at El Granjero and stared ahead with fiery eyes, "And I nearly fainted twice while at it!" Delsin D. Draco, Quirk: Pyro! His body could produce flames and control them without burning himself right away. "Ya' werre hidden by the grrass, yet, ya' didn't go away?!" El Granjero's eyes widened, his smile even wider, could it be? Would his brother turn out to be wrong about Japan's heroes? The steps of the man stopped as soon as he reached the tree-like barrier in the cross street, he knew whom those yells pertained to. "They are in there." Gritting his teeth, Kaio cried out, "G-GET AWAY!!" No way, no way Delsin would survive, he didn't have enough experience with that quirk. "Idiot... he is going to die..." His muscles flexed out once again. Grunting, Apostle punched at the wood, "N-No use... damnitt!" He raged, it was not even the fact that someone else was taking lead... was he really going to let a kid go into this? Crackle, Apostle gasped... the fire. A shaky smile came into Delsin's expression, "Foreign or not, we are going to train together." His fist trembled, "Do you think..." Delsin glared straight into El Granjero's eyes, "...that I would turn my back on someone?!" Apostle and Kaio gawked, the latter's eyes shaking. El Granjero's jaw dropped, his shoulder rose, this boy, no, this man... "This, THIS IS IT!!" He exclaimed, the wood crackled under the fire, and he took heavy steps towards Delsin. "H-HE IS GOING INTO THE FLAMES!" A voice shouted from outside the flames and wood. "Die, he is going to die," Kaio screamed internally once again, teeth sinking into his lips. His hands took a grip upon the wood around him, it creaked furiously, "NGHHHHHHH!" Flaming hands tightened into fists, "At least once," Delsin wept, yes, at least once, he didn't mind if it was going to be the first and the last. "We will... we will be heroes." He dashed through the burning grass, "I'll be a Hero!!" "HE IS GOING TO DIE!!!" The wood prison was ripped apart, Kaio's wide eyes hovering over the meeting figures of Delsin and El Granjero. "HE IS NOT GOING TO DIE!!!" That shout alone, even if for a second, made Delsin turn his head to the side. Though, it distracted both him and El Granjero from the sound of steps. "One hero after the other?!" El Granjero raved, holding out both of his hands, "No! BOTH OF YOU WILL!" Wood erupted once again from the concrete, the sound of flesh being pierced echoed in their ears. "No, indeed, you meant... None of you will die." A deep voice followed soon after, only then Kaio and Delsin saw that they had been pushed away by someone's elbows. A light brighter than Delsin's flames surged. Their eyes went up and took in the shining figure standing between them and El Granjero, his arms pressing forward and intercepting the wood. "Un-" Delsin choked. Apostle touted, "Lucian-san!!" He held the other three civillians in his arms, since the fire had allowed the wood to break much easier. "Chandelier!!!" El Granjero bawled, looking at the flaming head in front of him and grinning even as he was stuck against Lucian, "Harve ya' come to lock meh again?! YA'RE NOT WORRTHY!" "True. I've made several mistakes, I've not learned from all of them," Lucian uttered, the veins of his muscles expanded, "But... allow me to learn from this one!!" He glanced at the boys for an instant, trying to expand his arms, "I'm not the best one... but-" Both Delsin and Kaio stared at Lucian's back, a skull printed on it along with the name Chandelier. Kaio's expression went wide, was this the same man from half a hour ago? His irises brightened. With a roar, El Granjero held the wood on Lucian, wood was ordered to erupt from the ground beneath them. "IT'S NO USE, I GOT YOUR ARMS!!" The fight in the morning served for something, after all. "-BUT, I'M STILL A HERO!!" The flames around Lucian's head flared, his mouth going wide. "RIIIIIIIDER-" Another light sprung forth from below, El Granjero smiled, "KIIIIICK!" Lucian's flaming feet smashed against the villain's smiling face, caving it in. In a blurr, El Granjero was ripped off the wood as a gust of wind and embers engulfed the entire area, Apostle held the civillians at the ground. Something bright flew through the remaining tree, tearing it apart in a second until it reached the top and all of the leaves erupted into embers. "Improvised Version," Lucian finished amidst his heavy breaths, Delsin and Kaio staring dumbfolded. Apostle smiled at him, the Hero he worked under. The forest generated through El Granjero's quirk was burnt away completely, leaving only the broken concrete and many cars trapped in the traffic. "In a single kick..." Kaio uttered, Delsin nodding furiously, "The wood we barely..." Delsin nodded, "Wow-" Another nod, Kaio flicked a finger at Delsin's head, "STOP NODDING, FUCKIN' SHIT." Blood dripped from Lucian's hands, yet, he turned around, "Is everyone okay...?" There were many that tried to watch the entire convo, many got out of their cars, and all of them were staring directly into him, "Hm-" Cheers erupted and filled the entire street, civillians throwing their arms up, some even holding their expensive cellphones. Apostle let out a laugh and fully turned his attention on to the civillians he held. "IT FUCKIN' HURTS!" "EXCUSES, SHUT UP!" Lucian himself walked towards the duo, Kaio slapping Delsin, "Hey..." He waved at them, kneeling down, only then, their arguments only continued, "Uh... guys?" "WOULD YOU LIKE IF I HIT YOU BACK?!" "UH-HUH, YOU NEVER STRIKE BACK!" "GUYS, I'M TRYING TO HAVE A MOMENT WITH YOU!!" Lucian slapped both of their heads, their attention dead-set on him now. Their expressions went serious, eyes going into Lucian's own, "Thanks." The wind howled, as the streets were free, and Lucian closed his eyes in a smile. "I've made-" Kaio coughed, "Um... we... heard you." Lucian back-dropped, but, Kaio continued, "But... you shouldn't worry... we, we made mistakes too..." He bowed, lowering until the ground, unlike Delsin, a vein popped in Kaio's forehead. Lowering his face, Delsin gasped as Kaio hit his back, "GAH- Ah, yes... we..." Looking to his sides, Delsin bowed, slamming his forehead against the ground, "WE ARE GLAD YOU LEARNED FROM YOURS TOO!!" Blood leaked into the concrete, Lucian frowned. A snicker, "Hah, now, we got unfinished business, don't we?" Lucian said and crossed his arms, both whipped their heads up to look at him. "Hmmmm... where to begin..." Their eyes brightened and both jumped into the air, yelling in delight. "AAAAAAAAH, MY WOUND OPENED!!" ---- Category:Chapters Category:My Hero World